Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne IN
The Allen County Memorial Coliseum is the largest events venue in Northern Indiana, and one of the most unique event centers in the country; offering three venues under one roof. The building features over 1 million sq. ft. of meeting space, a 13,000 seat arena, and 5,000 parking spaces.
A “Few” Amenities which include 1 million sq. feet of meeting space; 152,000 sq. ft. exhibition halls; 27,000 sq. foot conference center; 13,000 seat arena; 8 breakout meeting rooms; 5,000 parking spaces.
The grounds immediately surrounding the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum display the anchor from World War II's USS Indiana battleship. South and east of the central complex is an expansive parking lot. To the south and west along the St. Joseph River, lies Johnny Appleseed Park, containing the gravesite of American folklore figure John Chapman.
The Mission of the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was first defined in 1946, by a vote of the county’s taxpayers, authorizing the construction of a living memorial to the Nation’s war veterans. Implicit in that authorization was the necessity for ongoing maintenance of the building, plus the management of all business affairs relating to the facility.
To that end, the Coliseum Board of Trustees entrusts a professional management staff to: oversee a clean, safe, well-maintained physical environment and provide responsible fiscal management, aimed at maintaining the Memorial Coliseum complex as a self-supporting entity. Thus our Mission extends to the responsibility for the production of maximum income, through the promotion of a diversity of entertainment, athletic, educational, and business-related events and activities. This lively mix of building usage ensures that the county’s tribute to those who served their country is truly a “Living Memorial."
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is a 13,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, near present-day Johnny Appleseed Park. It opened in 1952 with a construction cost of nearly $3 million. The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum was originally designed to seat 8,103 for hockey or 10,240 for basketball. Opened in 1989, the Coliseum's $26 million Exposition Center contains 108,000-ft² (0.100-km²) devoted to hosting substantial trade shows and other events with seating for 7,500.
In 2002, an extensive $35 million renovation and expansion raised the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum's roof by 41 feet (12 m), thus increasing the arena's seating capacity to 10,500 for hockey or music concerts and 13,000 for basketball. The structure was designed by A.M. Strauss Architects.
In 2013, a $3.96 million renovation and expansion of the 200 Level was completed. The project included upgraded restrooms with LED lighting, no-touch sinks, no-touch toilets, and no-touch urinals, and the addition of two food courts with three new vendors. Other restrooms throughout the Memorial Coliseum were upgraded in 2014. [8] The ribbon cutting ceremony was October 11, 2013.
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum is the current home of:
The Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL ice hockey league,
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League, and
The Fort Wayne Derby Girls of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association Division 2.
Major events include basketball, Allen County War Memorial Coliseum has hosted the 1955 and 1956 NBA Finals, the 1953 NBA All-Star Game, and the 2014 and 2015 NBA D-League Finals. Memorial Coliseum has also hosted several NCAA events, including the 2000, 2001, and 2002 Mid-Continent Conference Men's Basketball Tournaments and the 1988, 1994, and 2000 NCAA Final Four Men's Division I Volleyball Championships. Most recently, the University of Notre Dame hosted the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament Midwest Regional at Memorial Coliseum.
The arena has hosted college wrestling tournaments as well as the sectional, regional and semi-state championships of the IHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament during the one-class era.
The Coliseum was selected in April 2017 as one of the sites for the "Sweet 16" round of the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship and the "Final Four" of the NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
The Coliseum has hosted several live events by World Wrestling Entertainment.
Within the same complex as the arena, the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Exposition Center contains 108,000-ft² (0.100-km²) devoted to hosting substantial trade shows, banquets, graduation ceremonies, concerts, truck and tractor pulls, and wrestling matches, with the capability of seating 7,500 guests. When no events are scheduled for the arena, the Exposition Center's capacity can extend to a total of 175,000-ft² (0.162-km²). The Exposition Center was added in the $26 million renovation and expansion of the complex, completed in 1989.